Belt buckle



Apr. 24, 1923. 1,452,799

T. c. ERPENBECK BELT BUCKLE i Filed sept. 14. 1921 '10F/257 'i j 9 Patented Apr. 24, 1923.

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THEODORE C. ERPENBECK, OIE CHICAGO, ILIYJINOIS.k

BELT BUCKLE;

Application led September 14, 1921. Serial No. 500,703.

To all wiz-0m t may concern Be it known that I, THEoDoRn C. ERIEN- nncK, a citizen ofthe Unitedv States, residing at the city of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Belt Buckles, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to buckles for fastening thebelts employed for supporting trousers, or other similar uses and the special Objectis to provide a belt buckle which not only will fasten and hold the belt securely in place, but one which Will yield to the eX- pansion and contraction of the muscles about the waist in Walking, breathing, or other motions, of the body, without rigidly constricting the body as with the usual -belts now in use.

Another object of my said device is to provide a buckle of the class described which is simple in construction, easily made and assembled and repaired, is low in cost, and one which may be easily and quickly exchanged from one belt to another when desired.

With the foregoing' and other objects in view which are specifically set forth in the following specification, my invention consists of the parts' and arrangement as hereinafter described and claimed, and while I do not wish to be restricted tothe eXactfdetails of construction shown herein, yet, for the purpose of illustrating a particular embodiment thereof, reference is had to the accompanying drawings, in which like referencecharacters designate the same parts throughout the several views, and in which,

Figure 1 is a plan view of 'one of my buckles in place upon a belt, said view being taken from the back or rear side of said belt.

Figure 2 is a similar view, but with a portion of the loop 6 broken away to show they parts within. i

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section View taken along the line 3`-3 of Figure 2.

, Figure 4f is a vertical section view taken along the line 4 4 in Figure 2,

Figure 5 is a detail view of the wire hook.

Figure 6 is a detail view of the curved plate.

In illustratingmy said belt buckle, I have shown it as attached tol any suitable belt, as 1, having the perforations 2, 2 in one end thereof, for suitable adjustment as hereinafter described and as is usual with belts in present use. Atthe opposite end 3 of said belt I .have provided a loop as 6, held inr position by the snap 4 engaging With the socket 5 in the adjacent portion of the belt. I have preferably provided an opening at 7 in the fold of the loop 6 for passage therethrough of the free ends of the wire hook 8. This Wire hook 8 may be made of any suitable shape, but I have preferably made it of substantially hair pin shape, With its head' formed into the shape of an arrow head at 9 for engaging with the hook or post hereinafter described, and having the shoulders at 10, 10 for engaging the plate 12 hereinafter described. The free ends ofv the wire hook are substantially parallel, and

`spaced a suitable distance apart, and at the ends, they are turned outward, and backward to form the hooks 11, 11 as shown for retaining the spring 13 hereinafter`- described. The plate 12 is of thin metal, and

curved to conform to the inner surface of the fold in the loop 6 within which it is positioned. Through the curvedportion of said plate 12, are provided twolopenings 20,

20 of a size and shape suitable to permit passage of the free ends of the wire hook, but not suiiiciently large to permit the passage of the shoulders 10, 10 of said wire hook. The spring 13 is preferably coiled', as shown, and is iiattened in cross section as shown. It is adapted to be passed over the free ends of the wire hook 8, and to be' retained thereupon between the hooked ends 11, 11 thereof, and the plate 12.

The co-acting portion of the buckle may consist of a plate-14, of any suitable shape, having. apost as 15 midway of its width at one end, adapted to engage and hold one of the perforations, 2 of the belt, and preferabfly having its outward end bent rearward to prevent accidental disengagement from the belt. At 17 I have provided a band to encircle the belt which is passed therethrough, and atthe middle portionk of said band I have provided the post 18, having a suitable head larger than the body, the object being to receive the hooked end of the hook 8, and retain it against accidental disengagement. 19 is a keep as usually employed to retain the free end of the belt from moving about as in most constructions of belts and buckles,

To assemble my belt and buckle, the end having the perforations 2, 2 is passed shown about the parallel portion of saidv wire hook 8.

The end of the loo-p of the belt .having the snap 4 is engaged with the socket 5 and the belt is ready for' adjustment ,about the waist, the mechanical parts beingfcovered and concealed by the loop 6. To attachthe belt, it is placed about the Waist in the usual manner, and the arrow shaped wire hook 8 is engaged with the post 18, and the loose endof the belt is inserted inlthe keep 19 in the usual manner. lVhen f thuis' attached, the spring holds the hook 8 in continued engagement with the post 18 and against any change of accidental disengagement, at the same time, whenever the waist expands in breathing, or by the expansionr vl`of the muscles in movement or exercise, the

spring permits the belt wto yield and not constrict the parts as with the belts now in use.

By this construction, it will be apparent that my belt lends itself, not only to free and unrestricted movement of the muscles in walking, playing, and other exercise, but alsoin breathing, and that it removes the tendency to relax the muscles of the abdomen, and permit the belt to support the ab- --domen, to the detriment of the health, and

to theY injury to the form of the wearer.

While I have shown my belt as having the loop 6 at one end, fastened with a snap fastener, yet it will be apparent that while this is apconvenient manner of attaching said loopI for ready assembling, and removal of the parts, yet my device will work equally wellmif said loop is fastened in any other suitablemanner, as by rivets, or sewed in position, and in the case of tubular belts, the plate, 12, the free ends of the wire loop, and thespring are inserted Within the said tuf bular belt, and may be permanently fastened therein ywithout employing said loop, as the parts will -be fully covered from' sight, and from Contact with the clothing the same as though covered by a loop as shown.

Having thus described my said invention, what Iclaiin and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is the following :w

1. A tension device for belt buckles comprising a belt having one end folded back upon itselfaiid provided with an opening, a U-shaped plate having spaced apertures therein registering with the opening in the belt and lying within the folded portions thereof, a wire loop having an enlarged head and hooked free ends constructed to project through the apertures of the plate, the said enlarged head contacting with the plate, a fiat coiled spring encircling both free ends of the loop and disposed between the plate andthe hooked ends, and means for securing the folded portion of the belt. j

2. A tension device for belt buckles comprising a belt having one end `folded back upon itself and provided with an opening, a plate within the folded portion of the belt provided with apertures registering with the opening in the belt, a wire loop extending` through the plate and belt and having means for normally retracting the same, and a detaehablekeeper provided with a belt engaging hook mounted on the belt and having a stud to engage the said wire loop.

8. A tension device for belt buckles vcom-- prising a belt having one end foldedbacl:

upon itself and provided with an opening,A a plate having apertures therein registering with the opening in the belt, a loop having an enlarged head and hooked free ends confor normally holding the loop in its retracted position. j

ln testimony whereof, I have hereunto' set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. j

TiinoDoRE o. ERPENBECK; Vitnesses JOHN lV. NUGENT, J. M. SUMMnns. 

